The King of Tennis
by VBloodmoon4
Summary: An annual ball for the top tennis teams in Japan leads to tennis members from different clubs searching for the perfect date. Sakuno wishes Ryoma would ask her but instead finds herself in a predicament she never thought possible.
1. Chapter 1

Sakuno frowned as she stared at herself in the mirror. She was extremely nervous since there was a very important event coming up. A gigantic ball was held every year for the top tennis teams around Japan and it was obvious that the boys couldn't go by themselves. She gulped nervously at the thought of Ryoma asking her to be his date for the evening. Her cheeks flushed scarlet and she rubbed them furiously. Her phone buzzed on the countertop and Sakuno glanced down to see Tomoka's number flashing on it. She grabbed the device hurriedly and held it to her ear. Tomoka's voice blared out of the earpiece and Sakuno held it away for a moment; wincing.

"Sakuno! Who do you think will ask you to the dance?!" Tomoka shouted excitedly, "I'm really not opposed to anyone who asks me!"

Sakuno paused and questioned, "Even Horio?"

"Gah! I'm talking about the regulars!"

Sakuno giggled, of course she was, there wasn't anyone on the Seigaku team who she'd refuse either when she thought of the regular members. She thought for a moment, maybe Inui would be iffy since she was afraid he might slip her some of his special Inui juice.

"Hello?! Are you still there?"

Sakuno nodded quickly, "Yes!"

"Are you coming to the practice match against Hyotei today?" Tomoka asked enthusiastically, "You better! And wear something cute! You've got to look good for your potential date candidates!"

Sakuno blushed once more and thought of Ryoma, "Okay, did you want to meet somewhere and go together?"

"Sounds great! I'll meet you at the bus stop!" Tomoka replied.

Sakuno smiled and hung up the phone. She turned slowly and eyed her closet… what to wear?

…

"Wow, you look pretty today Sakuno!" Tomoka exclaimed as her friend approached.

Sakuno had chosen a frilly purple top that was made of a silky material. It clung to her frame nicely, showing off her figure. She also had on a black skirt that fell just above her knees with matching black sandals. She had rushed to paint her nails a calm lavender color before leaving the house.

"Thanks," Sakuno smiled, "You look really good too!"

Tomoka struck a pose, "Got to look good! You never know which cutie pie is watching you!"

She was wearing a yellow tank top with a short jean skirt and flats. The pair watched as the bus came to a stop in front of them. They boarded and sat down together with smiles on their faces.

"Why are they playing Hyotei anyway?" Tomoka mumbled, "That Atobe guy is a total jerk. He thinks he's so cool."

Sakuno giggled, "Well Captain Tezuka probably arranged it and there's no way that Atobe would refuse."

Tomoka shrugged, "I guess… ugh, we'll have to put up with that guy at the dance! He'll probably bring a stretch limo or something, ridiculous! He flaunts his richness nonstop!"

"He's not that bad," Sakuno said.

Tomoka eyed her friend suspiciously, "Just whose side are you on?"

Sakuno smiled, "Obviously Ryoma's."

Tomoka grinned back, "Of course!"

…..

"The King of Tennis has arrived!"

Cheers echoed throughout the Seigaku tennis courts where the practice match was being held. Even though it was a practice match an enormous crowd of cheering Hyotei fans was still present. Tomoka groaned as Atobe threw his number one symbol in the air and chants echoed throughout the tennis courts.

"He's so arrogant it makes me sick! Kick his butt Ryoma!" Tomoka shouted.

Sakuno watched as Ryoma wandered off to the drink machine and decided to follow him. She was pretty nervous about talking to him because she didn't want it to seem obvious she wanted him to take her to the ball. She trailed behind him quietly and he stopped at the large ponta machine. She heard him deposit a coin and press a button. The can clattered noisily to the bottom and the rookie tennis star snatched it up; popping the top open.

"Ryuzaki?" he asked without turning around.

Sakuno's cheeks lit up bright red, "Ryoma… I-uh, well…"

He swiveled around and eyed her carefully. He was just about to say something when he noticed someone approaching.

"Shouldn't you be with your _team_?"

Ryoma scoffed as Hyotei's captain sauntered up to him with obvious swagger.

"It's none of your business," Ryoma replied back simply, sipping on his drink.

Sakuno began to grow nervous and felt awkward being between the two. She started to back away until her sandal caught on the edge of the concrete they were standing on. She let out a small yip as she fell backwards. Sakuno gasped as she quickly stopped falling. She glanced to her side, expecting to see a red white and blue tennis jacket arm holding her up. She was shocked to see that instead it was completely purple.

"You should watch your step," Atobe told her with a lopsided smirk and shot a glare at Ryoma.

Ryoma shrugged, "It wasn't my fault."

Atobe ran his long fingers through his hair, "You obviously don't have a way with women if you'd let one fall right in front of you."

Ryoma wrinkled his nose and mumbled, "This is stupid."

Sakuno's heart dropped, he thought she was stupid? She let out a small sigh and a downcast expression fell across her features.

Atobe leaned down and his eyebrows perked up, "Are you alright?"

Sakuno stuttered, "Ye-Yes!"

Atobe smiled at her shyness and stood up to his full height. He shoved his hands in his jacket's pockets and turned to walk away.

He paused for a moment and over his shoulder he asked, "Eh, what's your name?"

Sakuno's eyes grew large, and she froze for a moment before quickly saying, "Sakuno Ryuzaki."

Atobe turned and began walking backwards, still watching her, "Well Sakuno, I must say that lavender looks good on you."

He winked at her and swung back around, waving over his shoulder. Sakuno's face was lit up like a glowing Christmas tree and Ryoma scowled at her.

"Maybe you should go cheer for 'The King'," Ryoma said dryly as he brushed by her.

Sakuno gasped and opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. She wanted to tell him that he was wrong and she'd never cheer for anyone but him. Sakuno was starting to feel differently since her little tripping accident. It made her think back to all of the times she had tried to talk to Ryoma and he either ignored her or treated her like he couldn't stand to be around her. She returned to Tomoka's side and quickly repeated the whole story to her best friend.

"What?!" Tomoka exclaimed, "That jerk face can actually be nice?!"

Sakuno nodded, "He told me I looked good in lavender," she blushed.

Tomoka grinned, "I bet he did…"

The matches started and the girls watched intently. They cheered loudly for their Seigaku boys and were starting to get really rowdy when Sakuno noticed that it was Ryoma's turn. He walked calmly onto the court with his hat pulled down low. The cheers from Hyotei exploded as she saw Atobe enter from the other side. He stepped onto his side of the court and raised his hand in the air, causing the cheers to become louder.

"Behold my prowess!" he shouted with a smug smirk as he served the first ball.

Sakuno watched in fascination as the match grew heated. It seemed as though hours passed and both players were obviously exhausted.

"This is exactly like their last match," Tomoka said, not taking her eyes from the court.

"Come on Echizen, don't wimp out on us!" Momo shouted at the first year.

"You should be quiet and watch the match…"

"What was that viper?!" Momo exploded and the two second years began arguing.

Eiji glanced at them as Momo and Kaidoh had their foreheads pressed together; shouting at one another.

"The captain's going to kill them," Eiji mumbled as Tezuka's eyes shot over to the second years.

Luckily Oishi beat Tezuka to the punch and pulled the two teammates apart.

"You two need to knock it off!" Oishi scolded them.

"Game and match, Hyotei's Atobe!" the referee shouted.

Kaidoh and Momo's eyes grew large and they both exclaimed, "What?!"

"Maybe if you would have watched instead of bickering with each other you'd know the outcome," Fuji told them with a smile.

On the court Ryoma had his hands on his knees and he stared up to the other side of the net where Atobe towered over him.

"Does this mean you'll shave _your_ head this time?" Atobe asked with a smirk.

Ryoma let out a small growl and held out his hand, "Nice match."

Atobe grabbed it firmly and nodded. The pair walked away from one another, returning to the their respective teams. The last match was between Tezuka and Hiyoshi which ended in a victory for Seigaku. After the match was over the two team captains shook hands.

"Thank you for coming," Tezuka nodded to Atobe.

"Don't get comfortable, when it counts Hyotei is the one that will come out on top," Atobe stated with a confident expression.

"We look forward to it," Tezuka replied.

The Hyotei team gathered and began getting on their bus. Sakuno and Tomoka watched from a distance next to the Seigaku team.

"I don't know what to think…" Sakuno trailed off.

"If you like Atobe I don't know what I'm going to do… what about Ryoma?!" Tomoka asked.

"I don't know, but Ryoma doesn't really pay attention to me. I don't think he likes me being around him at all," Sakuno replied with a sad face.

Tomoka's face paled and she found herself at a loss for words until…

"Sakuno Ryuzaki, may I have a word?"

Sakuno spun around with a stunned expression. The Seigaku boys became silent and all stared over at her with bizarre expressions.

"Does she know him?" Eiji questioned.

Ryoma clenched his jaw, "They just met before the match."

"Percent that he's stealing your potential date… 100," Inui stated as he scribbled in his notebook.

"Get over there and stop him!" Momo urged, shoving Ryoma in the back.

"No," Ryoma grumbled, "She can do what she wants, I don't care."

"Liar!" Eiji exclaimed and jumped on his shoulders, pulling at his hat.

"Senpai that _hurts_!" Ryoma complained.

Tezuka's eyes darted to each team member and they all became silent.

Inui grinned, "Percent that the captain wants to eavesdrop…"

"Inui!" Tezuka barked.

Tomoka rushed over to the boys to give Sakuno some space. She watched with a horrified expression as the Hyotei captain began speaking to her best friend with a smug expression.

…..

"You can just call me Sakuno…" Sakuno trailed off nervously.

"I was planning on it," Atobe said slowly with a flash of white teeth.

"Your match with Ryoma was really good," Sakuno stated with a twitchy smile.

Atobe leaned down and quirked one of his eyebrows, "Let's cut to the chase… Will you accompany me to the upcoming ball?"

Sakuno's eyes grew huge, "Well- I mean, um, I don't really know you that well."

"Would you like to?" he questioned with a smirk.

Sakuno's lips cracked into a small smile, "A little bit more… yes."

"It's settled then, you'll come to my manor for dinner tomorrow evening then," Atobe announced proudly.

Sakuno gasped as he pushed a small piece of paper into her hand which had his number neatly written on it.

"Call me," he gave her a wink, and casually walked off to board the waiting Hyotei bus.

"What just happened?" Sakuno murmured as Tomoka rushed to her side.

The Seigaku team wasn't far behind and were soon forming a circle around Sakuno and Tomoka.

"What did he say?" Tomoka asked urgently.

"We have a date…" Sakuno whispered, her eyes meeting Tomoka's.

All of the Seigaku member's eyes grew wide. And Ryoma's eyes disappeared beneath his cap.

"Tomorrow I'm going to his house, and having dinner… he originally asked me to the ball, but I told him I didn't know him well enough," Sakuno said.

"She could do worse…" Momo mumbled, "But not much."

"I heard he lives in a mansion!" Eiji piped in.

Kaidoh rolled his eyes and walked away from the group. Ryoma said nothing as the group dispersed. He watched Sakuno and Tomoka leave together. It didn't matter to him what Sakuno did, he didn't care… did he?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Yes, Sakuno was in braids :) Silly me, I didn't even think about her hair because it's always that way, I'll make sure to be more clear in the future! **

Sakuno arrived back at her house; feeling extremely rattled by the evening's earlier occurrences. She reached into her pocket and felt a piece of paper which reassured her that Hyotei's captain actually _had_ given her his number. What did he see in her? She was so shy and soft spoken; they had never even talked before! Everything was so sudden but deep inside she was secretly happy, hoping to make Ryoma jealous. Still, something wasn't right because when Atobe had spoken to her the second time it had given her butterflies. She glanced down at her other hand which was holding her cell phone. Was it weird to call this quickly?

Sakuno shook her head and yanked the piece of paper out of her pocket, reading Atobe's neat handwriting. She entered the number and held the phone up to her ear shakily as a nervous ball swirled in her belly. The phone rang a few times before Sakuno thought about quickly hanging up.

"Keigo Atobe speaking," a handsome voice suddenly said on the other line.

Sakuno's cheeks lit up bright red and she let out a surprised gasp. She could tell he was smirking through the phone.

"He-Hello?" Sakuno stumbled over her words.

"Why do you sound so surprised, I believe it's you who called me," Atobe replied and then added, "Right Sakuno?"

Sakuno grew frantic, "I'm sorry!"

"Can I pick you up tomorrow?" he asked, ignoring her outburst.

"Pick me up?" Sakuno questioned.

"Of course, unless you somehow know where I live you'll be wandering aimlessly."

"You live in a mansion," Sakuno blurted, immediately smacking her forehead.

Atobe chuckled, "I do…"

Sakuno opened her mouth to speak but was unable to say anything.

"I'll be by to pick you up around six, is that alright?" he asked.

"Do you know where I live?" Sakuno asked.

"I will when you tell me," he replied with a hint of amusement in his voice.

Sakuno told him her address and they exchanged a few short words before he announced he had to go. She hung up and stared down at her cell phone with disbelief. Was this really happening?

…..

Sakuno waited anxiously and paced around her living room.

"What's got you so wound up?" her grandmother asked.

"I have a date…" Sakuno trailed off.

"I knew Echizen would eventually ask you out! You two obviously like each other," Ryuzaki said.

Sakuno gave her a solemn expression.

"What is it?"

"I'm not going with Ryoma."

"Oh, which team member then? Momo? Eiji? Kaidoh?" Ryuzaki started to rattle off.

"He doesn't exactly go to Seigaku…" Sakuno trailed off nervously.

Ryuzaki opened her mouth but stopped as there was a beep from outside. She approached the front window and peeked outside. Ryuzaki swung to face her granddaughter, her jaw hanging open.

"Keigo _Atobe_ from _Hyotei_?!" she exclaimed, "How do you know him?"

Sakuno shrugged, "I don't, which is why we're going out this evening."

"This is extremely odd Sakuno, you need to be careful," Ryuzaki warned.

There was a light knock on the door and Ryuzaki pulled it open. Sakuno's eyes grew wide as they saw the person standing on the other side. Her mouth went dry and she felt like her legs went numb. Atobe stood with his head held high in a navy blue suit with a lavender tie and white undershirt. Sakuno turned scarlet, she didn't know that this evening was going to be so… formal. She stared down at her pink V-neck shirt and white skirt. She grabbed one of her braids and fumbled with the end of it nervously.

"Coach Ryuzaki," Atobe nodded at her with a small smile.

"You'll have her back at a reasonable hour?" Ryuzaki questioned.

Atobe nodded confidently, "Of course."

Ryuzaki eyed her granddaughter, "In that case, have fun."

Atobe walked up to Sakuno and held out his hand, "Shall we go?"

She took his hand with trembling fingers and followed him out the door. Sakuno gasped when she saw the limo in front of her house. Atobe opened the door for her and held her hand as she slid inside. He followed after her and closed the door.

"I'm sorry I didn't wear something more appropriate, I didn't know I needed to dress up," Sakuno mumbled shyly.

Atobe rolled his eyes, "I was at a meeting before I came to pick you up… I _am_ the class president at Hyotei. Your attire if perfectly fine for what I have in mind, I plan on changing when I get back."

Sakuno watched him loosen his tie and she marveled at his perfect complexion. His skin practically glowed and the mole under his right eye made his face even more unique. Atobe's eyes shot to Sakuno and he raised his eyebrows as he caught her staring. She turned away quickly, a small blush forming on her cheeks. Atobe chuckled lightly to himself at her shyness as they pulled up to a gigantic gate. Sakuno glanced out the window and was in awe at the enormous mansion that towered in the distance. The gate opened and the limo driver pulled the vehicle through. He parked and proceeded to open the door for the two passengers. Atobe got out first and turned to Sakuno, holding out his hand to help her out.

She took it hesitantly with a small smile, "It's beautiful here," she told him.

Atobe nodded, "I'm glad you approve, make yourself comfortable."

They entered the mansion and Atobe walked up to a large staircase. He turned to face Sakuno whose eyes were darting about; trying to take everything in.

"Come upstairs, I need to change out of this… I don't want you wandering off and getting lost in here," he said to her as he started to climb the staircase.

Sakuno hastily followed after him until they arrived at a door near the end of the long hallway. Atobe pushed the door open and Sakuno's jaw dropped as she walking in after him.

"This is your room?" she asked in a voice just above a whisper.

Atobe smirked, "Yes, have a look around while I change."

She watched him open a large closet door and pull out a few articles of clothing. He exited the room which left her by herself.

"Wow…" she trailed off.

Sakuno started with his desk that was against the wall. She walked over and noticed the picture frame that contained a great team picture of Hyotei. All of his writing utensils were neatly organized and there was a closed notebook lying in the center. Sakuno flipped it open and saw it was a planner which had all of Atobe's activities written inside along with the times. She smiled as she saw how many of the events had to do with tennis. She turned her attention next to the shelves hanging on the wall where dozens of trophies and medals were displayed. There was a picture of Atobe as a young boy with a sweater vest on; holding a racquet and standing on a tennis court. He wore a large grin and Sakuno noticed that in the background there was a Union Jack flag flying.

"England?" she muttered in confusion, brushing her fingers over the top of the frame.

She continued her investigation until she heard the door behind her. She swung around quickly with an embarrassed look on her face. He wore a casual blue polo shirt with black dress pants and shoes.

"Atobe!" she cried out and put her hands behind her back.

He raised his eyebrows and gave her a charming smile, "Learning more about me yet?"

Sakuno puckered her lips in a pouting face and pointed at the frame she had been examining earlier, "Why were you in England when you were little?"

Atobe casually sat down on the edge of his bed and replied simply, "I grew up in England."

"What?!" Sakuno exclaimed and then said, "That must have been really cool."

Atobe shrugged, "Not exactly, I had my fair share of problems."

"Like what?" Sakuno asked quickly, and then covered her mouth at her outburst.

"I don't really like to talk about it, but for a cute girl like you… since you asked I might make an exception."

Sakuno gave him a small smile and took a step toward him. He stood up and approached her, holding out his hand.

"Let's do it over a cup of tea," he said softly.

…

The pair sat out next to the large in-ground pool under a big umbrella. A butler brought them a platter containing their tea and placed it lightly on the table in between them. Sakuno marveled at how beautiful his house and its surroundings were. Atobe poured them both tea into a pair of dainty tea cups. He picked his cup up by the small handle and sipped on it; a satisfied expression covering his face. Sakuno watched how he handled the small cup and tried to mimic him. The tea met her lips and her eyebrows shot up.

"It might be hot," Atobe suddenly stated.

Sakuno slowly set the cup back down and rubbed her lips, "Too late," she muttered.

Atobe leaned back in his chair, "I didn't come to Japan until junior high when I started at Hyotei."

Sakuno watched him as he looked out over the bright blue pool. His eyes seemed to have a sad look about them.

"I wasn't always number one, although I always had the most money," he winked at her.

Sakuno blushed slightly, "What do you mean? Aren't you still trying to be number one?"

Atobe's eye twitched and he smirked, "Perhaps…"

Sakuno noticed his expression, "Sorry! I mean, I was thinking about when you lost to Ryoma, and I thought of Captain Tezuka and Sanada."

Atobe ran his fingers through his hair, "Of course, but if you recall I beat Echizen yesterday."

"It wasn't official though…" Sakuno trailed off.

"You can be quite tenacious can't you?" he asked her.

"I guess," Sakuno blushed.

"Continuing from where I left off… When I was a child I lost most of the time, and the other children mocked me. It's true I was different since I was Japanese, but I was alone most of the time so it was difficult," Atobe explained, taking a long drink from his teacup.

"Why were they mean to you?" Sakuno asked with a sad expression.

"To this day I still don't know. Perhaps it was my good looks," he flashed her a smile, "or that they found me to be a threat as I got better at tennis, but it was most likely they were jealous of my money."

"I don't think your money is a big deal," Sakuno said.

"That's a refreshing point of view," he replied.

"So what happened when you came to Japan?"

Atobe leaned forward and put his chin in the palm of his hand, "When I came here, no one could match my skill on the tennis court. I spent my younger years working extremely hard on perfecting _my_ tennis. I was the king of Hyotei the first day I attended school, and the second I walked onto the tennis court as a first year I was the king of the club."

"So do you like it here better than England?" Sakuno asked.

"Of course I do. Don't get me wrong, there are a few things I miss about Europe, but Japan is home to me," he replied.

Sakuno smiled thoughtfully.

"So have you learned more about me Sakuno?" Atobe questioned with sparkling eyes.

Sakuno nodded with a smile.

"I take it you approve, so will you accompany me to the ball?" he asked her, leaning forward eagerly.

Sakuno giggled, "Yes, I'll go with you."

Atobe leaned back with a proud expression, "Excellent, now… this date isn't over yet. I wish to know more about _you_ now since you've heard about me."

Sakuno looked thoughtful, "Well… when I was younger…"

Atobe listened to her as she talked and was amazed at her innocence. She seemed so pure and he loved the fact that his money didn't faze her. He didn't care that she was younger than him, she was a normal girl with extraordinary traits and he definitely wanted to get to know her better.


	3. Chapter 3

"Sakuno! I can't believe you didn't call me after last night! How could you?!" Tomoka shouted as they walked to class the next day.

Sakuno gave her a small smile, "Sorry Tomo, I didn't think about it."

"That's because you were thinking about _Atobe_," she replied slyly.

Sakuno blushed, "No! I mean… well, maybe a little, but not like _that_!"

"Like _what_?"

Sakuno and Tomoka swung around quickly, "Momo senpai!"

The second year shrugged, "How was your _date_ Sakuno? I think I might call you a traitor!"

Sakuno's eyes shot to the ground and she suddenly became heated, "It's not like anyone here was going to ask me to the ball or take me out and get to know me. Keigo is really nice and actually listens to what I have to say."

Momo fell on the floor, "_Keigo_?! You're calling him _Keigo_ already?!"

Sakuno turned and entered her classroom without a second look back.

"She's grumpy…" Momo grumbled as he scratched his head.

"It's Ryoma's fault, he never pays attention to her and it's so obvious she likes him. Looks like she's moving on though, to someone more mature and _older_," Tomoka winked and entered the classroom after Sakuno.

Momo's jaw dropped with disbelief and immediately dashed down the hallway to Ryoma's classroom. He slid his head in and politely asked the teacher if Ryoma could leave class for a few minutes for tennis reasons. The teacher hesitantly complied and in moments Momo was face to face with an irritated first year.

"What's this about?" Ryoma asked with a disgruntled expression.

"You're losing to _Atobe_ Echizen!" Momo shouted.

Ryoma quirked his eyebrow, "What?"

"Atobe is stealing Sakuno from you!" Momo cried.

Ryoma shrugged, "I don't see how he's stealing anything from me."

Momo groaned, "You're so dense Echizen!"

"I'm going back to class," Ryoma mumbled.

"No you're not!" Momo said as he grabbed him, "You're coming with me!"

…..

"The whole team is in here skipping class?" Ryoma asked as they entered the room where coach Ryuzaki's office was.

"Of course, we sent Momo to gather the data and bring you here," Inui said.

"We can't lose to Hyotei!" Eiji cried.

"I still don't understand how this means we're losing to Hyotei, this has nothing to do with tennis," Ryoma growled.

"It has _everything_ to do with tennis shorty! It'll make our team look bad if you can't be a gentleman! A girl who goes to our school picking a boy who goes to _Hyotei_?! That's terrifying!" Eiji exclaimed.

"Do you like Sakuno?" Fuji asked Ryoma, moving toward him slowly.

Ryoma felt shivers run down his spine as he knew how diabolical Fuji secretly was.

"I don't know."

"Don't lie!" Kaidoh snarled.

Ryoma winced, "How am I supposed to know?"

Oishi stepped forward, "Do you think about her? Do you get butterflies when you're close to her? Do you try to impress her?" he pressed.

Ryoma's back hit the wall, "I don't know!"

"Are you jealous?" Kawamura piped in.

Ryoma let out a small growl, "I don't like that she's hanging out with Atobe if that's what you're asking."

Eiji clapped his hands together, "That's a start! So now you need to make sure they _stop _hanging out."

Ryoma rolled his eyes, "And how do I do that?"

"Take her out."

The room grew silent as Tezuka spoke up and everyone turned to face him.

"If she's with you, she's not with him," he elaborated.

"Ask her on a date!" Eiji pushed.

"I'm not good at this kind of thing," Ryoma said with a frown.

"You've got to start somewhere," Oishi said.

…..

"Are you upset?" Tomoka asked Sakuno as they left class and headed to lunch.

"No," Sakuno shook her head, "I just don't like people bad mouthing others when they know nothing about them."

"Atobe seems to have grown on you," Tomoka noted, "What exactly happened yesterday?"

"Nothing!" Sakuno blushed, "I just learned more about him, that's all."

The two girls sat down and started eating their lunch when Ryoma walked up to their table with an uncomfortable expression.

"Ryuzaki…" he started.

Sakuno glanced up at him, "Ry- Ryoma?" she stammered.

It drove her crazy that she couldn't avoid stuttering around him.

"Do you want to do something."

Sakuno raised her eyebrow, "Are you asking me to do something?" she questioned in a quiet voice.

Tomoka's gaze shot over to the tennis table where all of the members were watching them expectantly. It was too obvious.

"Did they put you up to this?" Tomoka asked.

Ryoma shot a death glare to his teammates and spoke slowly, "I only do what I want to do."

Sakuno started to feel nervous and her eyes shot down.

"Tonight?"

"I promised my grandma I'd help her around the house this evening," Sakuno mumbled, not looking up.

"Tomorrow?"

"You have tennis don't you?" Sakuno asked with a frown.

Ryoma clenched his fists, "The next day?"

"I'm doing something with Atobe," Sakuno replied meekly.

Ryoma pulled his cap down, "Maybe another time," and walked away.

"That wasn't very romantic," Tomoka told Sakuno.

Sakuno frowned, "What was he trying to do?"

….

"Sakuno!" Tomoka exclaimed the next day.

"What?!" Sakuno asked, alarmed.

"I just got asked to the ball!"

Sakuno smiled brightly, "By who?"

"Eiji asked me!" Tomoka cried out.

"Wow!" Sakuno said in shock.

She could understand how that happened. Tomoka and Eiji were the two people she knew who had the most energy. They would get along great with how perky they both were.

"I heard Momo is going with Ann," Tomoka whispered with a smile.

"That's great!" Sakuno smiled.

"It _is_ this weekend, I can't believe it's come up this fast!" Tomoka said and then asked, "So what are you doing with Atobe tomorrow?"

"I'm not sure, he never really tells me. It's like he wants me to be surprised and impressed," Sakuno answered.

"That's not a bad thing," Tomoka smiled.

…..

The next evening Sakuno once again found herself waiting for Atobe to pick her up.

"I'm shocked Sakuno, I would have never expected that you would be dating Atobe from Hyotei!" her grandmother cried.

"We're not dating," Sakuno blushed, "Just friends."

Ryuzaki gave her a sly look, "For now."

There was a knock on the door and Sakuno jumped at the noise. She opened the door quickly and Atobe stood on the other side giving her a charming smile.

"Good evening Sakuno, how are you?" he asked her in a handsome voice.

Sakuno turned to look over her shoulder at her grandma, "Bye! I'll be back later."

"Have fun, and be careful," Ryuzaki replied with a small smile.

"You didn't answer my question," Atobe told her as they walked to the car.

"Em! Sorry! I'm doing fine!" Sakuno said with an embarrassed expression.

"Good, I was planning on a shopping trip," he stated the limo driver opened the door for them.

Sakuno slid in first and Atobe followed after her.

"Shopping?" she questioned, glancing at his attire, "It doesn't look like you need to go."

Atobe chuckled and Sakuno blushed. She was wearing a lacey white top with khaki shorts and flats. Her hair was in its classic braids. She always felt severely underdressed when she was around Atobe. He was wearing a baby blue button up shirt which was covered by a cream colored sweater vest. He had on black dress pants and shoes. He was so stylish.

"We're shopping for you, and as for myself, I could always use more clothes," he told her.

"You don't need to spend money on me Atobe." Sakuno said in a quiet voice.

"First," he stated as he leaned close to her and her face lit up, "You may call me Keigo, secondly, I'll spend my money on you if I so please."

He leaned back with a satisfied smirk and Sakuno let out a long breath as though she had been holding it.

"Okay… Keigo."

…

Sakuno walked nervously next to Atobe as they made their way to one of the more expensive shops. He eyed it for a second and moved on.

"It's hard not to stop there, it's one of my favorites," he stated.

"Where are we going?" Sakuno asked.

"To find you a gown of course," Atobe answered smoothly.

Sakuno gasped, "You don't have to do that!"

"But I want to," he winked, "It's my pleasure."

Sakuno felt extremely embarrassed, "You really don't have to…" she mumbled.

Atobe led her into an extravagant dress shop which had gowns on the walls and dresses in every direction. Sakuno's jaw dropped at the sight of the store, it was like walking into a fairy tale. There were princess dresses, slim dresses, evening gowns, jewelry, gloves, and there were even glass figurines for sale. She stared at the shelves with the small figurines that consisted of horses pulling carriages, unicorns, dolphins, fairies, and all kinds of other shapes.

"Find one you like," Atobe leaned down, whispered in her ear and then added, "Price isn't a factor."

Sakuno wandered further into the store and touched some of the gowns cautiously. She started searching through the racks and examined the dresses hanging on the wall. By the time she was finished she had it narrowed down to three choices.

"I'm stuck," she told Atobe with a meek smile.

Atobe snapped his fingers, "The golden gown, and we'll get you a pair of black satin gloves as well as a pair of shoes to go with it."

Sakuno looked down at the smooth fabric of the gown and smiled, "Okay, but only if you let me buy us lunch."

….

"So stubborn," Atobe remarked with a smirk as they ate in the food court.

"You bought plenty for me today, lunch is my treat," Sakuno said sweetly.

"I like girls with a strong will, and you definitely have one," Atobe winked at her.

Sakuno shrank down in her chair with a blush, "Thanks."

"Gold is one of my favorite colors too so I'm pleased with my purchase for you."

Sakuno tilted her head, "I figured that purple was your favorite."

Atobe let out a laugh and Sakuno felt butterflies in her belly at the sound. She immediately smiled.

"Just because purple and white are my school colors doesn't mean that they're my personal favorites," he told her.

"Then what are they?"

"Black and gold," he answered simply.

"I'm going to start asking a bunch of questions now… I just know it," Sakuno mumbled with and embarrassed expression.

Atobe motioned for her to continue.

"What's your favorite book?"

He thought for a moment, "I don't really have a favorite book but I enjoy reading Shakespeare. Reading is one of my favorite hobbies."

Sakuno's eyes grew wide.

He knew exactly what she was thinking, "I don't _only_ play tennis. I do plenty of other things… besides spending money," he winked.

Sakuno smiled, "It's just weird hearing more about you, but I like it. I don't know this much about anyone on the Seigaku team."

"I thought you and Echizen were close, it always seemed like you and that other girl were there cheering for him at matches," Atobe said.

Sakuno nodded, "I don't think Ryoma enjoys my company very much."

Atobe leaned back in his chair, "That's a shame, I greatly enjoy your company, it's his loss."

Sakuno blushed brightly, "Th-thank you!"

"You're very cute when you're embarrassed Sakuno," Atobe told her in a lower voice.

Sakuno didn't know what to say and Atobe spoke again, "Tell me, what do you think of me if I may be so bold to ask?"

Sakuno's heart was beating rapidly, "I like spending time with you," she rambled out.

Atobe grinned and leaned closer, "Is that _all_?"

Sakuno's blush became brighter, "I think you're really attractive."

Atobe looked satisfied, "Of course you do, I _am_ perfect."

Sakuno rolled her eyes, "You can be really cocky sometimes though."

"Another one of my incredible traits," Atobe stated, seeming un-phased, "One needs to be confident in themselves or they'll never get anywhere in life."

"I guess…" Sakuno trailed off.

"As long as you have the skills to back up what you say you can be as egotistical as you please," Atobe told her.

"I'm not like that at all," Sakuno noted, "I like to keep to myself most of the time."

Atobe nodded, "That's why we work so well together don't we?"

Sakuno gulped and asked slowly, "Atobe, are you interested in me?"

Atobe smiled, "I'm not hiding anything Sakuno, isn't it obvious?"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks everyone for the reviews, they make me happy. I really like this pairing and I'm surprised that there isn't more Atobe/Sakuno fics out there! I get tired of reading RyoSaku so I like to switch things up a little! To .ame: Don't worry about Hyotei, they'll be interacting soon enough, I just haven't got there yet. We've spent most of our time with Sakuno so Hyotei hasn't really been a factor… yet! **

Sakuno stood next to Tomoka as they watched the Seigaku tennis practice. Sakuno found her mind drifting to her previous evening with Atobe. He was so nice to her and she really enjoyed spending time with him. She barely stuttered when she was with him and every time he was near her confidence seemed to grow. Perhaps some of Atobe's overbearing confidence was rubbing off on her, and if it was, she didn't mind. Some of the regular members had teased her about 'dating' Atobe but she brushed all of their words off. She had finally realized that as long as she was happy, what other people thought didn't matter. The ball was only two days away and Sakuno was growing more excited with each day that passed.

"Are we going in a group?"

Sakuno blinked as she was brought back to reality from her thoughts. She stared at Tomoka with a blank expression.

"Are we going in a group this weekend?" Tomoka asked again.

Sakuno looked up at the clouds, "I hadn't thought of that yet, I'd love to, but I'll have to ask Keigo first."

"You really _are_ calling him Keigo aren't you?!" Tomoka squealed.

Sakuno shrugged with a smile, "He asked me to."

Tomoka grinned, "Okay, well I was thinking our group could be me and Eiji, you and _Keigo_, and lastly Ann and Momo."

"Have you talked to Ann?" Sakuno asked.

"Actually Momo and Eiji were the ones who said they wanted to be in a group," Tomoka replied.

"Really?" Sakuno asked.

Sakuno knew exactly why they wanted to be in a group. The Seigaku boys wanted to spy on her, it was obvious. She smiled at the thought, so what? She'd let them because she had nothing to hide. Sakuno was starting to take Atobe's words to heart, she needed to be confident in herself if she wanted to get anywhere in life. She had always lacked confidence but since being with Keigo, it seemed as though she grew more confident in herself day by day.

Sakuno's eyes met Tomoka's, "I'll call him now and ask him."

Sakuno moved away from the tennis courts and pulled out her cell phone. She was unaware of the glare that Ryoma was sending her way from the vending machine that was near her. He grabbed his Ponta quietly and watched her. Sakuno cheerfully typed in a number and held the cell phone to her ear. It rang a few times before there was an answer.

"Hello?" an out of breath voice said.

"Keigo?" Sakuno questioned nervously, afraid she had caught him at a bad time.

"Sakuno," he acknowledged, "Is everything alright? You sound upset."

"No, no!" Sakuno exclaimed, "I was hoping I didn't interrupt you doing anything."

"Only tennis practice," he said sarcastically.

"Sorry!" she said, dropping her head, "I wanted you ask you a quick question."

"Fire away, I was about to take a water break anyway," he told her.

"Would you be okay with going in a group to the ball?" she asked, slightly scared of the answer.

Atobe thought for a moment, "I suppose that would be alright, as long as the transportation and whatnot are on my terms. What group are we talking about?"

Sakuno let out a sigh of relief and answered, "Momo and Ann and then Eiji and Tomoka."

"That's fine, would you be okay if Kabaji tagged along with us? He _is_ my best friend," Atobe said.

"Of course not! I don't care who comes, the more people the more fun it will be!" Sakuno told him.

"As long as we get to spend _some_ alone time together," he said lowly.

Sakuno blushed on the other end of the line, "I'm sure we'll have plenty of opportunities to be alone."

Ryoma gripped his Ponta can with unnecessary force and stomped his way back to the tennis courts. Sakuno finished her conversation with Atobe and trotted back over to Tomoka's side.

"Everything is a go," Sakuno smiled brightly, "As long as we let Atobe take us."

Tomoka grinned, "Let him take us in his amazing limo? Uh _yeah_!"

"What are the other members doing for the ball?" Sakuno asked in a hushed voice.

Tomoka shrugged, "I'm not sure, we can always ask one of them."

Horio appeared out of nowhere, "The rest of the members are going stag of course! As am I!"

"What do you mean?" Tomoka asked with a bewildered expression.

"Captain Tezuka is going alone, and most of the other members are following his lead! They're going in a giant group together!" Horio explained.

"That's kind of odd," Sakuno murmured.

"Captain Tezuka is the coolest! It's only natural that most want to do the same thing as him!" Horio exclaimed.

"This is going to be an interesting ball isn't it?" Tomoka asked Sakuno.

She nodded back, "It looks like it."

…..

Sakuno sat at home that evening doing her homework when her cell phone suddenly buzzed. Her heart jumped and she sat up quickly to grab it.

"Hello?"

"Will you come to my tennis practice tomorrow?"

Sakuno was frozen, she had never been to anyone's tennis practices except for Seigaku's. If she went to Hyotei then she'd _really_ feel like a traitor.

"Is that a good idea?" Sakuno asked hesitantly.

Atobe chuckled on the other line, "What's wrong with the idea?"

"Aren't your teammates going to get mad if I'm there? Since I go to Seigaku?" Sakuno questioned worriedly.

Atobe huffed, "Of course not, you don't need to worry about anything. Don't you want to watch me practice?"

Sakuno could tell he was teasing her and she sighed in defeat, "I guess I could… I'll have to make up an excuse as to why I'm not going to Seigaku's practice though."

"An excuse? Why? Just tell them the truth, they already know we're seeing each other," Atobe replied simply.

Sakuno cringed when he said 'seeing each other'. Were they really? Were they dating? She needed to define this relationship but she wasn't really sure how she should ask. Maybe she'd ask him tomorrow after his practice.

"Since your practice is after school, how do you want me to get there?" Sakuno asked.

"I'll send my driver to come pick you up of course!" Atobe answered as though it was obvious.

Sakuno reluctantly agreed, "Okay, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

Sakuno hung up the phone and decided to call Tomoka. She knew that her best friend would kill her the next day if she didn't know about what just happened. The phone rang a few times until she heard Tomoka's voice.

"Hello?" she answered in her usual cheery voice.

Sakuno decided to cut to the chase, "Keigo asked me to come and watch him practice tomorrow at Hyotei," she rambled out quickly.

"WHAT?!" Tomoka screamed, "You aren't really going are you?!"

"I think I am…" Sakuno trailed off.

"He wants to show off," Tomoka mumbled.

"He always shows off," Sakuno confirmed with a small smile.

"You two are _complete_ opposites, how does this even happen?" Tomoka exclaimed.

Sakuno giggled, "I'm not sure."

…

"Why the heck did the captain call us for an emergency meeting?" Hiyoshi grumbled as they sat in chairs by the pool at Atobe's mansion.

Jiro was hanging over his chair in an awkward position breathing heavily as he slept. The sun was starting to go down and the Hyotei regulars were becoming restless. Mukahi fidgeted relentlessly until his chair started rattling and Ryo shot him an irritated glare. Oshitari glanced down at his cell phone and adjusted his glasses.

"Thank you all for gathering so quickly!"

The regulars looked over to the side of the mansion where Atobe walked gracefully outside with Kabaji right behind him.

"It was no problem at all!" Chotaro said with a selfless grin.

"Speak for yourself," Ryo grumbled.

Atobe ignored the fellow third year and continued, "I have an announcement."

The regulars stared at their captain, waiting for him to continue. Atobe turned to Kabaji and gave him a curt nod. Kabaji walked past the captain and up to the chair where Jiro was sleeping soundly. He grabbed the chair Jiro was in and pushed it backwards. Jiro's eyes snapped open in mid-fall and he stopped himself quickly.

"I'm up, I'm up!" he cried and yawned sleepily.

"I am taking Sakuno Ryuzaki to the ball this weekend and have asked her to join us for practice tomorrow. So I'm expecting you all to be on your best behavior. If I hear anything to suggest that you're being mean to my _date_, I'll punish you personally," Atobe spoke with authority.

A few gasps and confused noises came from the Hyotei members.

"Isn't she from Seigaku?" Mukahi asked with a bizarre expression.

"She is… is there anyone here who has a problem with that?" Atobe asked.

"It's just extremely odd to hear such news," Oshitari said in a deep voice.

"Why is it odd? I, Keigo Atobe, can get whatever and whoever I want!" Atobe announced proudly, "My prowess is untouchable!"

Chotaro smiled with admiration at his captain while most of the other members glanced at each other awkwardly. The sun dipped over the horizon and the lights around the mansion sprang to life, illuminating everything. Atobe's grin glowed in the lights and Oshitari shook his head with a tired expression.

"So… you called us here to tell us to be _nice_ to a girl from _Seigaku_ who cheers for the Seigaku _team_ who you _invited_ to our _tennis_ practice?" Ryo asked, emphasizing words.

Atobe frowned, "Yes Shishido, is there a problem with keeping my team informed?"

Ryo's eyes shot downward, "No captain."

"So now that everyone knows about tomorrow and the ball this weekend you're all dismissed, right Kabaji?"

"Yes!"

….

"Grandma," Sakuno approached her carefully.

"Sakuno? You aren't in bed yet?" she asked, glancing over at the clock.

Sakuno clasped her hands tightly in front of her, "Um, I won't be at tennis practice tomorrow."

Ryuzaki shrugged, "That's okay with me, but why?"

Sakuno grinned sheepishly and Ryuzaki's eyebrows shot up in realization.

"Are you going out with Atobe again?"

"Sort of," Sakuno replied, "He asked me to come to Hyotei's tennis practice tomorrow.

Ryuzaki's jaw dropped, "_Really_?"

Sakuno blushed brightly and nodded. Ryuzaki stared at her granddaughter in bewilderment. How was it that two people with such opposite personalities had come together? What did Sakuno see in Atobe and what did he see in her? Ryuzaki was surprised at the turn of events. She had always expected Sakuno to end up with one of the Seigaku regulars with as much time as she spent with the tennis team. She assumed that it could be worse… Atobe was a very respectable young man. Ryuzaki knew that Sakuno claimed the two were 'just friends' but she knew that wouldn't last much longer. She could tell by the nervous way that Sakuno talked that she had feelings for him and it was cute how shy she was about it.

"So is it okay if I go?" Sakuno asked.

"Of course, is he picking you up?"

Sakuno nodded, "He won't be there, but he said he's sending his driver to pick me up."

Ryuzaki rolled her eyes, "What I'd do if I had money to throw around like that…"

Sakuno giggled, "Thanks grandma, I'll see you in the morning."


	5. Chapter 5

Sakuno woke up the next morning and let out a small groan. She sat up slowly and wrinkled her eyebrows.

"I don't feel so well," she mumbled to herself.

She made her way to the kitchen where her grandmother was moving about. Sakuno rubbed her eyes and trudged into the room. Ryuzaki glanced up and gave her granddaughter a frown.

"Is everything okay? You look down today."

"I don't feel that well," Sakuno replied.

"Maybe you should stay home," Ryuzaki suggested.

"No!" Sakuno blurted.

Ryuzaki regarded her with a sly expression, "You don't want to miss Hyotei's practice do you?"

Sakuno blushed, "No, I don't."

….

Upon Sakuno's arrival to school she was bombarded by a few of the Seigaku regulars.

"Tomo! You told them about me going to Hyotei after school today didn't you?" Sakuno cried out.

Tomoka shrugged innocently, "I told Horio, obviously he can't keep a secret, it'll never happen again!"

"It's too late now…" Sakuno trailed off as she saw Ryoma walk by them without a second glance.

She felt slightly hurt by his actions and scowled. She turned her attention back to the regular members who were starting to shoot questions at her. Momo, Eiji, Kawamura, and Kaidoh were watching her with suspicious looks.

"Why does Kaidoh seem so into this?" Sakuno asked Tomoka in a hushed voice, "He's never been this… nosey."

"What?" Kaidoh snarled with narrowed eyes.

Sakuno flinched, "Sorry senpai."

"Sakuno! You can't go to Hyotei! I won't let you!" Eiji whined

Kawamura looked modest until Momo pulled his racquet out of his bag and thrust it into the third year's hand.

"_Burning!_" he shouted, "Hyotei is the _enemy!_ You can't go there! God damn!" he exclaimed.

Momo busted out laughing and Kaidoh swiped the racquet from Kawamura. He suddenly became modest again and gave Sakuno a meek smile.

"It would just be a little strange to see you go there instead of coming to our practice like you always do," Kawamura said in a quiet voice.

"I don't understand why everyone is so involved and why you all are trying to run my personal life."

The area became quiet and they all eyed Sakuno with shocked expressions. Tomoka pursed her lips and stepped between her friend and the regulars.

"It's Sakuno's life, let's get off her back and leave her alone. She can like who she wants!" Tomoka defended.

Sakuno couldn't help but smile at her best friend. She knew that Tomoka was slightly apprehensive of her seeing Keigo but that didn't stop her from being a great supporter especially when she needed it most. She was getting tired of others bashing Keigo when they knew nothing about him.

She went to her classroom and let out a sigh. She still felt under the weather and fanned herself lightly with her hand. Tomoka skipped into the room and sat down, eyeing her friend carefully.

"Are you okay? You look sick!"

Sakuno sniffed, "I actually don't feel very well."

Tomoka's hand shot out and she felt Sakuno's cheeks and forehead.

"You're really warm! You should go see the nurse!" Tomoka exclaimed.

Sakuno shook her head, "If I have a fever they'll send me home and I won't be able to go to Keigo's practice tonight."

Tomoka sighed, "If you have a fever they'll send you home… where you're _supposed _to be because you're _sick_. You don't want to give it to someone else do you?"

Class started and Sakuno stared at the clock, the teacher's voice fading in and out. Her eyes fluttered and she felt herself growing warmer by the second. She felt dizzy and put her head in her hands. Ryoma glanced over at her from the other side of the room and narrowed his eyes; giving her a perplexed look.

Sakuno's hand suddenly shot in the air, "I need to go to the nurse's office please," she said in a barely audible voice.

The teacher nodded, "You look quite pale Sakuno, will someone walk her to the infirmary?"

Sakuno's eyes grew wide as Ryoma stood up slowly and nodded, "I'll do it."

Sakuno gathered her things and followed the fellow first year out the door into the hallway.

"What's wrong?" Ryoma asked in a low voice.

"I'm not feeling well… I woke up this morning feeling kind of sick," Sakuno replied.

They arrived at the infirmary and Sakuno gave Ryoma a weak smile, "Thank you."

Ryoma tossed his head, "It's not a big deal," and walked off.

'That was odd,' Sakuno thought to herself as she entered the nurse's office.

….

Sakuno had been lying down for about an hour when the nurse checked on her. She had just sent Atobe a text telling him she wasn't feeling well and had to go to the infirmary. The nurse took her temperature and waited patiently for the thermometer to beep. Sakuno felt her phone buzz against the outside of her thigh and she laid her head back down on the pillow with a huff after the nurse walked away.

'How long have you been sick?'

Sakuno stared at Atobe's text message and replied that it had started early that morning. She winced when he sent her a fast reply back.

'And you STILL went to school?! Sakuno, what were you thinking? You should be resting!'

Sakuno let out a sigh since she did feel kind of stupid for going to school when she woke up not feeling well. She couldn't help it because she knew the reason she did it was so she wouldn't miss seeing his practice. She replied and told him exactly what she was thinking. She hit the send button and the nurse walked back into the room.

"Sakuno, you have a fever!" she told her with a frown, "You should definitely go home and get some rest. I'll go call your grandmother."

Sakuno nodded and the nurse marched off.

'How adorable, you didn't want to miss seeing _me_? I'm flattered.'

Sakuno smiled and told him she was going home to rest and that apparently she had a fever.

'I'll see you at your house then,' appeared on her cell phone screen.

Sakuno's eyebrows shot up. How was he going to see her? Didn't she just explain she's going home to rest? She sent him her slightly confused answer and he replied back quickly.

'We had a date and I'm not going to miss it. I still want to see you and you can see me practice another day.'

Sakuno blushed and at that moment her grandmother walked into the room.

"Come on Sakuno, you need to rest!"

Sakuno nodded and sat up slowly. She swung her legs over the bed to the floor and followed her grandmother out the door.

….

"Sakuno, wake up," Ryuzaki shook her granddaughter.

Sakuno mumbled and opened her eyes. She had fallen asleep on the couch in front of the television with a blanket draped over her.

"You have an _unexpected_ guest," Ryuzaki said with a hint of sarcasm.

Sakuno shot upright and glanced over her shoulder to see Atobe who flashed a charming smile. He approached her with a bounce in his step and sat down on the couch by her knees.

"What's this?" Sakuno questioned, nodding at the bag he was carrying which had balloons floating out of it.

"It's for you of course," he told her, pulling a purple teddy bear out of the bag.

Sakuno gasped as he handed it to her. The bear had a balloon string wrapped around each paw and she looked up to see that they were both gold with 'Get Well Soon!' printed on them. The bear was lavender and extremely soft. She grinned at the stuffed animal and looked back at Atobe who was watching her carefully.

"Thank you, this means a lot," she told him with a small blush.

"It was the least I could do," he brushed her comment off.

Sakuno glanced at the clock, "Shouldn't you be at tennis practice?"

"I had more important things that required my attention," he replied simply.

"You didn't have to do that! I don't want you getting in trouble or anything!" Sakuno burst out, then acting shy after her outburst.

"Don't worry about that, I won't get in trouble," he told her and then added, "I like you Sakuno, I wish I knew how you felt."

Sakuno stuttered, "Well! I uh,"

"You're a bit difficult to read, I can't tell if you feel the same way or you're just humoring me," Atobe told her with a serious expression.

Sakuno squeezed her new bear to her chest, "I do like you… I'm just nervous."

"Nervous of what?" he questioned.

"That it will be bad since we go to different schools and were a few years apart in age," she replied.

"School doesn't matter, are the Seigaku members giving you a hard time?"

"No!" she exclaimed, "They tease me but it's nothing bad."

Atobe smirked, "Hyotei's members have no problem with it either. As for the age difference, I'm a third year and you're a first year… that's two years difference, you're making it an issue when it's not."

Sakuno shifted uncomfortably, "I guess so…"

"Do you think you'll be well enough for the ball?" he asked her.

Sakuno nodded vigorously, "Yes!" and then hesitantly added, "I'm not that great at dancing though."

Atobe's nose shot in the air, "You're a very lucky girl, I happen to be one of the most skilled ballroom dancers."

Sakuno giggled, "Really?"

"Of course, I learned it when I was in England."

"I still have so many questions to ask you…" Sakuno trailed off.

Atobe chuckled, "Wanting to know even _more_ about me Sakuno Ryuzaki? I'd say you're interested."

Sakuno hugged her bear with a blush, "I think so to."

Atobe stood up and Sakuno gave him a confused expression, "You need to rest."

Sakuno's heart rate skyrocketed as she saw Atobe bend down so his face was close to hers. She began breathing in short breaths and her mouth went dry. He took her hand softly and she gasped at its warmth. He leaned down slowly and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Goodbye Sakuno, I'll talk to you tomorrow," he told her with a bright smile.

Sakuno opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. She nodded to acknowledge him and watched as he left the room. She heard the front door close and stared down at the adorable bear in her arms. She hugged it tightly once again. She wasn't having normal feelings toward Keigo and she had never felt this way about a boy before. She _had_ to like him, it explained everything. The urge to talk to him, wanting to see him, wanting to make sure she didn't let him down… it was obvious. He outright admitted he liked her and she was at a loss as to how she couldn't tell him how she felt. She heard her grandmother walk into the room and turned to face her.

"Well isn't that sweet?" Ryuzaki said knowingly.

"It was really nice," Sakuno agreed, "I think I might like him grandma."

"You still don't know? It's pretty obvious to me that you're smitten with that boy," Ryuzaki replied.

Sakuno smiled, "I don't know how to tell him, he told me that he likes me, but I didn't know what to say."

Ryuzaki shook her head, "Oh, to be young again. I think you'll figure it out."

Sakuno watched her leave the room and grabbed her bear and blanket. She went up to her room and collapsed on her bed. She started to close her eyes when she heard her phone buzz and grabbed it. A single text was on the screen and it was from Atobe.

'Sleep well, I hope you feel better tomorrow.'


	6. Chapter 6

"I'm very happy you're feeling better today Sakuno," Atobe said to the girl standing on the other side of the chain fence of the Hyotei tennis courts.

She smiled back at him shyly, "I'm happy too, I really wanted to come yesterday though."

Atobe tossed his head, "But you're here today, and the ball is tomorrow… everything is going perfectly!"

Sakuno had gotten up that morning feeling much better and her fever was gone. She went to school in a good mood and told Tomoka about Atobe's visit the previous evening. Her friend had gone ballistic and asked for all of the details which Sakuno had explained. She tried to tell Tomoka that it wasn't that big of deal because she had been sick and that Atobe was just being a nice guy. Tomoka refused to believe it and told Sakuno that he was definitely in love with her. At this point Sakuno quickly had changed the conversation to something different with scarlet cheeks. Her school day seemed to have taken longer than usual and when she left there was a limo waiting out front to take her to Hyotei. Other students were gawking at the beautiful limousine and were even more shocked when they saw Sakuno Ryuzaki get in. It had been a quiet drive and the driver was extremely nice to her. When she arrived at Hyotei, Atobe was there waiting for her in his tennis warm up suit.

Now here she was watching him round up his enormous team in preparation to begin practice. She hugged her arms around her chest trying to hide her Seigaku uniform. She watched Atobe send the non-regular players to the other courts as the regular Hyotei members gathered around him. Kabaji stood loyally next to his captain and the regulars became quiet. Atobe looked serious and then broke into a grin.

"Everyone, say hello to Sakuno Ryuzaki! She'll be observing our practice today and I expect all of you to treat her with proper manners," he said proudly and gave Sakuno a wink.

Her cheeks lit up and the regulars turned to look at her. Various 'hellos' broke out along with small nods from the team members.

"Good," Atobe nodded, "Let's begin!"

Coach Sakaki emerged from a nearby building and made his way to the tennis courts. Sakuno watched the regulars avidly as they paired up and were warming up with one another. Atobe and Kabaji hit the ball back and forth to one another and the other pairs followed suit. Sakuno smiled as she watched Atobe because she could tell how much he loved tennis in his facial expressions. It was obvious that the Hyotei captain had a true passion for the game. Sakaki came up behind her and she jumped when he greeted her.

"Keigo told me that Coach Ryuzaki's granddaughter from Seigaku would be joining us today. I must say I'm quite shocked. You must be an exceptional girl because he usually doesn't take an interest in anything except tennis," Sakaki told her.

Sakuno stuttered and nodded, "Thank you for letting me be here."

"We usually allow our practices to be viewed… but Keigo insisted I make an exception."

Sakuno's eyes widened as she realized how much work Atobe had put into getting permission for her to be there. She definitely needed to remember to thank him later. She jumped again when the coach entered the courts and Atobe caught the tennis ball flying at him. He smirked and jogged over to Sakaki. They conversed for a few moments before Atobe turned to the regular members and announced they'd be playing mock matches against each other.

"Gakuto and Oshitari will be playing against Shishido and Ootori as doubles. The singles players will be playing… on one court will be Kabaji and Hiyoshi, and the last court will be Jiro and I," Atobe announced and turned to the coach.

Sakaki did his classic point and said, "Begin!" very firmly.

The Hyotei members split up and spread out among the courts.

"Sakuno! Come over this way!"

Sakuno turned to see Chotaro waving at her with a friendly smile. She smiled back and took a step toward the doubles match that was about to start.

"Sakuno!"

She turned her head in the other direction to see Atobe giving her an expectant look and stopped moving.

"You should definitely watch our match," Chotaro said, still looking at her.

"Hey! Chotaro! Serve the ball already!" Ryo growled at his partner.

"Ah! Sorry Shishido…" Chotaro replied; rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'll watch both of you!" Sakuno declared, "Since both you and Keigo are on the end courts I'll stand behind the middle so I can see both of you."

Chotaro grinned, "You're so nice Sakuno!"

"Chotaro!" Ryo shouted.

"I'm going!" Chotaro said back quickly.

Atobe watched Sakuno from across the courts where she was talking to Chotaro. He smiled and was glad she seemed to be less nervous. That meant she was more comfortable being with him and he was especially happy that she was getting along with his teammates. Chotaro was a good person for her to talk to first on the team because he was by far the friendliest. Atobe decided not to say anything else to her because he knew that she would make sure to watch him.

The matches began and Atobe was correct, Sakuno made an effort to watch his match along with the others. Atobe felt as though he had another reason to show off his skills besides for a flashy win. He wanted Sakuno to see his prowess on the court and be impressed by it. Adrenaline coursed through his body and he felt incredibly alive as he played. He glanced over a few times to see her staring at him in awe which only fueled his efforts further. His lips formed a crooked smile when he saw Sakuno clapping for Chotaro who was giving her a thumbs up after a service ace. The matches came to an end where Chotaro and Ryo escaping with a narrow win in doubles. Kabaji and Atobe both won their singles matches and the regulars formed a circle around their captain. The sun was setting and the light over the courts was getting dimmer with every passing moment. The non-regulars made their way over to the group surrounding Atobe and he began to speak.

"There will be _no_ practice tomorrow because of the ball. I hope to see you all there," Atobe told them and then said, "You're all dismissed!"

Sighs of relief and smiles broke out among the players as they broke apart and headed for the locker rooms. Sakuno watched Atobe grab his water bottle and a towel. He wiped his forehead and the back of his neck with it while taking a long drink from his water bottle. She smiled as he made his way over to her.

"I hope you enjoyed yourself," he said to her with the towel slung over his shoulder.

"I had a lot of fun and I heard from your coach how much trouble you went through so I could be here… I wanted to say thank you," Sakuno told him with shy smile.

Atobe snorted, "It was no problem at all."

"I feel like I haven't done anything for you," Sakuno said with a downcast expression, "You sending your car to pick me up from school, getting permission from your coach, and buying me that dress…"

Atobe put his hands on her shoulders, "I thought you said that my money didn't bother you? I use it how I please, and if I wish to use it on you, then you have no reason to feel bad about it. I'm using it on you because it makes me happy."

Sakuno's brown eyes lifted slowly to meet his and she pursed her lips together, "Okay…"

"You aren't doing 'nothing' as you say. You being here is more than enough. I really enjoyed having you here tonight to witness my incredible skills," he winked.

"They were pretty amazing," Sakuno agreed with a small giggle, "It was hard to look away while you were playing."

Atobe grinned cockily, "Of course it was hard to look away… the man you're infatuated with was sweating and playing his heart out on the court."

Sakuno opened her mouth but couldn't speak and her cheeks were glowing.

Atobe put his arm around her and they began walking toward the school building.

"Don't you need to go to the locker room?" Sakuno asked after a few minutes of silence.

"I'm the president of the class and I have permission to use the staff room inside," he replied, holding the door open.

Sakuno entered the building and looked around in awe at the inside of Hyotei.

"So I saw that you and Ootori seemed to be getting along well," Atobe noted as they walked down the halls.

Sakuno smiled, "Yes, Chotaro is really nice!"

"On a first name basis already?" Atobe asked as he opened a door that had a sign saying 'Staff Only'.

The pair entered the room and the door clicked shut behind them.

"I figured you'd want me to make friends while I was here… I made one," Sakuno replied with a smile.

Atobe grabbed a gym bag from one of the nearby shelves and opened it. He pulled out his white button up shirt from school and his khaki dress pants.

"I'm glad, now…" Atobe sauntered up to her and placed a quick kiss on her cheek, "You're okay waiting out here for a few minutes, right?"

Sakuno gasped and nodded vigorously, "Yes! I'll be fine."

Atobe eyed her carefully and smirked. He turned and entered the staff locker room behind him. She heard the shower start and decided to sit down. Her knees were trembling and she reached up and touched her cheek carefully.

'Did that really happen?' she thought to herself.

After a few more minutes passed she heard the water stop and stared at the door for long moments until it opened. Atobe emerged and steam wafted out with him. His hair was still damp and his shirt was partially unbuttoned.

"Let's go," he nodded at the door with his gym bag slung over his shoulder.

Sakuno followed him quickly out the door and through the halls outside until they were next to the limo. The driver opened the door for them and they both slid in. The car ride to her house was quiet and awkward on her part but Atobe looked perfectly calm and collected.

"Did that freak you out?" he suddenly asked her.

Sakuno's eyes shot up and she stared at him with a stunned expression.

"It's obviously bothering you because you're acting odd," he told her.

"It caught me off guard," Sakuno replied quickly.

"Were you okay with it?" Atobe questioned further.

Sakuno gulped and answered honestly, "Yes, I've never had someone do something like that before. So it makes me feel really nervous because I have no idea what to do."

Atobe waved her off with his hand, "There's no need to feel embarrassed Sakuno, I'm not going to leave or make fun of you because you've never been kissed by a boy before. I must say that you're quite a lucky girl though… receiving your first peck on the cheek from _me_."

Sakuno couldn't help but giggle, "I suppose so."

The limo pulled up in front of Sakuno's house and the driver opened the door. She got out and Atobe walked her to her door. He leaned down and gave her a hug. He squeezed her tightly and she smiled at the feeling of his warmth.

"I'll see you tomorrow Sakuno, we're going to have a marvelous time," Atobe told her, leaning back with a smile.

Sakuno grinned, "I'm excited."

"You should be," he smirked.


	7. Chapter 7

Sakuno woke up the next morning and stretched. She was extremely happy that it was the weekend so she didn't have to worry about going to school all day. She saw the sunlight filter through her window and smiled because today was the day of the ball. She and Tomoka both had hair appointments at the same time and were going to meet up.

Sakuno slid out of bed and made her way to the kitchen where her grandmother was standing. She rubbed her eyes and grabbed a bowl from the cabinet. She started to pour herself cereal and Ryuzaki grinned at her granddaughter.

"Are you excited for today?"

Sakuno nodded as she poured milk into the bowl, "Yes! I really am. Will you pick Tomo and I up at the hairdresser? We both agree that our hair will get messed up on the way back if we walk."

"Of course I will," Ryuzaki agreed, "We can't have that happening, can we?"

…

"Sakuno! Hurry up!"

Sakuno ran to her front door where Tomoka was standing on the other side with bright eyes. She smiled at her friend and the two began walking down the sidewalk together. It was a sunny day with no breeze and the pair agreed it was a perfect day for the ball. They arrived at the front of the salon and entered with grins plastered on their faces. Tomoka charged up to the counter and told the receptionist who they were and rushed back to Sakuno; taking a seat next to her in the waiting area. Sakuno fidgeted as Tomoka flipped through magazines with a carefree expression. Two stylists walked toward them and the girls glanced up.

"Are you two ready?" one of them said with a friendly smile.

Tomoka jumped out of her chair and nodded excitedly, "Let's do it!"

Sakuno stood up slowly and answered softly, "Yes."

She was nervous that her hair would look silly and embarrass her with some type of fancy style. She would be mortified and never forget it if Atobe laughed at her.

….

"You two look wonderful!" Ryuzaki exclaimed as Tomoka and Sakuno slid into the car.

It started moving and Tomoka chattered about her entire experience animatedly. Sakuno sat up straighter so she could see herself in the rearview mirror. She stared at her reflection and her eyebrows shot up. Her hair looked surprisingly good and a small feeling of excitement welling inside of her. She imagined herself in the dress Atobe had purchased for her and smiled at the thought. It was going to be a good night.

…

"Tomo, please!"

"Sakuno! You need to wear makeup! Now hold still and let me do it!"

Sakuno shifted stiffly with a grimace on her face as Tomoka continued to apply eyeliner.

"I don't want to look like a clown!"

"You're not going to!" Tomoka rolled her eyes, "You need to wear some makeup though… with your hair done and your dress you'd be incomplete without it!"

Sakuno let out a sigh, once again imagining herself in her dress… but this time she had an unreal amount of makeup caked on her face. She saw Atobe coming out of his grand mansion and staring at her with a horrified expression. Sakuno blinked and winced at the thought. She couldn't believe how important Atobe's opinion was to her.

"All done!"

Sakuno cautiously turned to look at herself in the bathroom mirror. She was shocked at how well Tomoka had done and a small smile formed on her lips.

"I _told_ you!" Tomoka exclaimed, "Now I need to do my own so we can get ready!"

Sakuno ran to her room and grabbed her dress and Tomoka's.

"When is your boyfriend picking us up?" Tomoka shouted from the bathroom.

Sakuno glanced at the clock and replied, "He'll be here in about twenty minutes."

Tomoka charged into the room, "You didn't deny that he's your boyfriend! Are you two official now?"

Sakuno blushed, "I think so…"

Tomoka rolled her eyes, "You two are… don't deny it."

The two girls put their dresses on and zipped each other up. They grabbed their shoes and slid them on. Sakuno gulped as she stepped into black stilettos that added several inches onto her height and pulled her black satin gloves on. She looked over at Tomoka who was wearing a bright pink gown which flared out at the bottom. She had matching pink high heels and her hair was in a beautiful up do. Sakuno went to the bathroom to examine herself one last time. Her hair had been left down and fell in soft curls below her shoulders. Her makeup gave her eyes a smoky charcoal look which went well with the glow of her golden gown. She left the bathroom just as Tomoka was calling for her downstairs where the limo had arrived.

Ryuzaki hugged her granddaughter as she approached the door out front where Tomoka was waiting.

"You look gorgeous tonight Sakuno! Have a good time, and be safe!"

Sakuno blushed and hugged her grandmother back, "I will!"

She opened the door and stepped outside.

"Sakuno! It took you long enough!" Tomoka complained.

Sakuno sighed, "Sorry!"

She glanced up to see Atobe who was beaming at her. A big smile immediately spread across her lips and she began walking faster to get to him. He looked incredibly handsome and was wearing a crisp black tuxedo with a golden tie. She reached him and he held his hand out to her with a charming smile.

"You look incredibly beautiful Sakuno," he told her as she placed her hand in his.

"You look nice too," Sakuno replied shyly.

Atobe leaned in a placed a quick kiss on her cheek before nodding to the driver. Tomoka let out a squeal and the driver grabbed the door. He opened it and Atobe helped Sakuno inside. Tomoka followed the pair and the door was closed behind them.

"We're picking up Kikumaru first, and then Momoshiro," Atobe told the two girls.

Tomoka clapped her hands, "We're going to have so much fun!"

"What's Tezuka doing for this?" Atobe asked.

"We heard he's going alone," Sakuno replied, "And a lot of the other Seigaku regulars are too."

"Interesting," Atobe mumbled, "Although I'm not surprised about Tezuka, he definitely doesn't possess the proper charisma to bring in ladies."

"He's kind of scary sometimes," Tomoka agreed, "But he's still hot!"

Sakuno blushed out of embarrassment, "Tomo! You say that about all of the regulars!"

"I do not!" she argued.

"Well… maybe not about all of them, but you've said it about Momo! Oh, and you even said something about Keigo when Hyotei played Seigaku at their training camp!"

Atobe's eyebrows shot up, "Really now…"

"I wasn't commenting on it casually, I was getting mad, you were so stuck up!" Tomoka shot back.

Atobe thought for a moment, "That's right, I brought my household servants with me. I had a nice seat that day for the matches…"

"You had a drink and everything! You even made your butler take off your freaking jacket when it was your turn to play!" Tomoka cried.

Atobe shrugged, "I'm not going to apologize for being rich."

Sakuno shifted uncomfortably and the limo stopped as they pulled up in front of Eiji's house. They saw the senior bolt out of his front door with a big grin on his face.

He opened the door before the driver even exited the car and slid in next to Tomoka.

"Hoi hoi!" he exclaimed as the limo began moving again, "You look great!" he said to Tomoka with a grin.

Sakuno and Tomoka giggled and Atobe leaned over with an outstretched hand. Eiji grasped it firmly and eyed the Hyotei captain with mischievous eyes. The Seigaku senior wore a black tuxedo with a bright pink bowtie that matched Tomoka's dress.

"Kikumaru," Atobe nodded.

Eiji grinned and winked at the Hyotei captain, "Let's all have a fun evening."

Atobe chuckled, "I wish for nothing less."

The limo pulled to a stop once again and Sakuno started smiling when she saw Momo and Ann. The pair approached the car and a giant grin spread across Momo's face when the door opened. The two slid into the car and Sakuno stood and carefully made her way to Ann where they shared a quick hug. The car started moving and Sakuno awkwardly made her way back to her seat next to Atobe. He grabbed her hand and guided her back making sure she didn't fall. Ann was wearing a light lavender gown which had a glittery shine about it and Momo wore a black tuxedo with a matching tie. Eiji bumped fists with his teammate and the group was off.

"Oi Ryuzaki! How's it with you and your _boyfriend_? Echizen is on the losing side of this one isn't he senpai?"

Eiji laughed at Momo and Sakuno's face turned bright red.

"I thought you said that their teasing didn't bother you," Atobe said to her with one eyebrow raised and a small smile on his face.

Sakuno twiddled her fingers and Ann smacked the top of Momo's hand. The junior cried out and looked at her with a hurt expression.

"Ann! What was that for?!" he cried out with puppy dog eyes.

"Stop being mean to Sakuno, she can date who she wants."

"Speaking of dates… is Kamio going to be there tonight?" Eiji asked slyly, giving Momo a grin.

"Senpai! You're so mean! You know he hates me!" Momo exclaimed.

The girls giggled and Ann nodded, "Of course he will, and so will my big brother."

Momo's face paled and Eiji began laughing hysterically. Atobe looked down curiously at Sakuno who was laughing quietly to herself. She glanced up at him with big brown eyes and smiled.

"Enlighten me, I don't like being left out," he whispered to her.

Sakuno quickly filled him in and the Hyotei captain nodded in understanding.

"Momoshiro is going to be in quite the predicament tonight eh?" Atobe chuckled, glancing at Momo and Ann.

Sakuno nodded, "Kamio always gets upset when he sees Momo with Ann. He can't stand it!"

Atobe looked thoughtful, "I still don't see what Tachibana's little sister sees in that hot head."

"Oi! I heard that Atobe! I'll show you a hot head!" Momo shouted.

Atobe rolled his eyes and his jaw dropped at Sakuno's next statement.

"Well, everyone asks me what I see in you… so I guess it's not that different from Ann's situation."

"I'm nothing like him," Atobe said immediately and then asked, "What _do_ you see in me Sakuno?"

Sakuno felt her stomach turn as the car got quiet and all of the group members leaned forward to stare at her. Atobe smirked at how nervous she looked and put his arm around her.

"No need to speak Sakuno, you can tell me later," Atobe told her, pulling her close to him.

"Young love died…" Eiji whispered to Momo.

He nodded in agreement, "Echizen and Ryuzaki's young love is long gone from what I'm seeing."

"I'm not _that_ old!" Atobe growled, his eyebrow twitching in irritation, "And just because you two are whispering about me doesn't mean I can't hear you… you're sitting right _next_ to me."

The car came to a stop and Momo frowned, "Are we there already?"

The door flew open and Kabaji stood on the other side with his regular blank expression. Everyone stared at him in surprise except Atobe and Sakuno. The Hyotei member climbed in and sat down on the other side of Sakuno.

"Now that everyone is here… we can be on our way, right Kabaji?" Atobe asked with a charming smirk and a wink to Sakuno.

"Yes!"


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Alright! This is it, the final chapter! Thanks for reading, and reviews are always nice!**

The limo pulled up in front of an elaborate hotel where the ball was being held. The driver stopped the vehicle and came around; opening the back door. Sakuno's eyes lit up and practically sparkled when she saw other guests who were dressed up making their way inside. She waited until all of the others inside the limo had gotten out before she started to slide toward the door. Atobe held her hand firmly and she turned to look at him with a confused expression. He gave her a small smile and moved past her so he could get out first. The Hyotei tennis captain then turned and leaned his head into the doorway of the limo with his hand outstretched to her. Sakuno smiled brightly and grabbed it without hesitation. She got out slowly and stared at the tall hotel as she heard the car pull away behind her.

"Oh!" Eiji cried out with an excited expression as he grinned.

Tomoka squeezed her fists as though she could barely contain her excitement. She finally let out a loud excited squeal and Sakuno stared at the ground with an embarrassed look.

"Tomo…" she trailed off in a disappointed tone.

Momo shook his head and adjusted his tie as he grabbed Ann's hand.

"Looks like it's going to be a good time, eh Kabaji?" Atobe said in a deep voice.

"Yes!"

Sakuno giggled as they started toward the hotel entrance. She kept glancing around for anyone else she knew. In truth, Sakuno was really nervous about running into Ryoma. Every encounter that had occurred between them since the practice match when Atobe had given her his number had been awkward. Sakuno wasn't sure what Ryoma was thinking. She didn't know if he was jealous or if he didn't care. She had been infatuated with him since the day they met when she gave him the wrong directions to the tennis courts. It wasn't her fault that he never returned her feelings or acknowledged her existence for that matter. She was bound to move on and she had. The group entered the front door and approached a desk that was taking down the players' and their guests' names. Atobe walked up confidently and pulled Sakuno along.

"Keigo Atobe from Hyotei, and my guest is Sakuno Ryuzaki from Seigaku."

"How many in your group?" the woman running the counter asked.

Atobe turned and did a quick count, "Seven."

"Okay, you'll be at table number four, and if I could get everyone in your group written down," she said, motioning to the others to come forward.

Momo, Ann, Eiji, Tomoka, and Kabaji all checked in and were listed under table four. When they entered the ballroom Sakuno gasped as she saw people already dancing. There were tables assorted about the great room and each one of them had a center label indicating the numbers. The group found table four and sat down.

"Oy! Senpai, when are the others getting here?" Momo asked Eiji who shrugged.

"Captain Tezuka is probably going to show up fashionably late!" Tomoka said with admiration, "And no doubt everyone else will follow his lead!"

Atobe chuckled and Tomoka snapped defensively, "Don't look down on Seigaku! We may not have as much money as you _Atobe_, but we obviously have the superior tennis team!"

"Tomo!" Sakuno exclaimed with a shocked look.

She turned to glance up at Atobe but the Hyotei captain was still chuckling with an amused expression. He didn't seem upset at all and Sakuno let out a sigh of relief.

"There's my brother!" Ann suddenly said with a smile on her face.

The group turned and looked over to the door where the line was getting longer as more people were arriving. Tachibana saw his sister and sent a smile their way. He stepped aside to reveal that Kamio and Ibu were behind him. Kamio's eyes landed on Ann and a disgusted scowl covered his features when he saw Momo. Sakuno looked up at Atobe who was staring down at her with a small smirk on his face.

"And so the trouble begins," he muttered quietly but loud enough for her to hear.

"Ann! Don't invite Kamio over here!" Momo pleaded.

"I'm not! There's obviously not enough room for them anyway," she said with a frown and then hit him on the shoulder, "And you _will_ be nice when we talk to them. Don't be a jerk."

Momo gave her a wounded puppy dog face but said nothing. He watched with a wary expression as the Fudomine trio approached them.

"Hello," Tachibana greeted them with a nod.

The group greeted him back and he turned to Momo, "You'd better treat my sister well tonight Momoshiro, because if you don't I'll hear about it."

Momo shrank in his seat, "I will! I wouldn't treat Ann bad!"

"Don't give him a hard time," Ann smiled at her brother, "He's been great so far!"

Kamio let out a growl and Ann gave him a grin, "Hi Kamio! How are you this evening?!"

"I've been better," he grumbled.

"Have a good evening," Tachibana nodded and left with his group to go to their table.

Atobe lifted his arm and wrapped it around Sakuno's shoulders. She looked up at him with a questioning expression but he was staring at the entrance. She turned in her seat to see what it was he was looking at when her eyes fell upon the Seigaku group entering. Instantly, a nervous pit formed in Sakuno's stomach and she shifted uncomfortably. She felt Atobe squeeze her and then she saw Ryoma walk in the door.

"Oishi!" Eiji waved wildly with excitement on his face.

"Feh! Looks like that viper decided to take that rag off his head," Momo said with a smirk.

Atobe shook his head, "The real fun won't start until Hyotei and a few of the other schools get here, right Kabaji?"

"Yes!"

"Sakuno let's go say hi to the guys!" Tomoka exclaimed.

Sakuno gulped, Tomoka was completely oblivious at the moment. She looked at Atobe with an apologetic expression.

He nodded with a smirk, "Go ahead."

Sakuno stood up slowly and followed her best friend over to another table where the Seigaku members were sitting down.

"Hi Ryoma!" Tomoka exclaimed.

He gave her a small nod of acknowledgment and sat down. Sakuno awkwardly stayed behind her friend and avoided eye contact with the dark haired boy. She glanced at him briefly and saw he was wearing a navy suit with a white undershirt and matching navy tie.

"Ryuzaki," Fuji nodded at her, "How's your evening so far?"

Sakuno blinked and answered, "Oh! Fuji senpai! It's been good, thank you for asking!"

Tezuka suddenly spoke to their table, "Everyone be on their best behavior tonight. Be kind and courteous to the players from other schools. If I find out anyone was being rude or causing trouble, I'll discipline you."

Sakuno and Tomoka visibly shrank at his stern voice.

He turned to them and said, "If you two could deliver that message to Momoshiro and Kikumaru…"

"Yes captain!" Tomoka exclaimed, saluting him.

Sakuno smiled sheepishly, "Of course."

The two girls scurried back to their table and delivered the message promptly.

"Whew, the captain can be so harsh!" Momo said, relieved he didn't hear the message first hand.

"Aww, he doesn't trust us? Who would we be mean to?" Eiji pouted.

Momo shot a glance across the hall to where Kamio was sitting and shuddered. It seemed that most of the guests had arrived because the tables were filling up. Waiters from the hotel brought out a variety of snack trays and placed them on tables which were off to the side against the wall.

"Let's mingle," Atobe said, grabbing Sakuno's hand and standing up.

She stood up after him and Kabaji did the same. Sakuno waved to her table and followed Atobe to a nearby table where his Hyotei teammates were sitting. Some of the guys had girls with them that Sakuno didn't recognize but she smiled in greeting.

"Sakuno!" a cheerful voice cried out.

Her eyes quickly went to a grinning Chotaro and she smiled back, "Hi!"

Atobe released her hand as she moved forward to socialize with his teammates on her own. He watched in approval as she and Chotaro laughed and talked with one another. Kabaji stood loyally by his side and was quiet.

"Oshitari," Atobe nodded, "How are things here?"

The dark haired tennis player stared up at his captain through his glasses, "Fine."

Oshitari wrapped his arms around his date and gave his captain a knowing look. Atobe's eyebrows shot up and he smirked. Oshitari was the dark and mysterious one at school. He knew that numerous girls found that image to be attractive so he wasn't surprised that Oshitari had managed to bring one of the most attractive girls from Hyotei. Atobe looked up at Sakuno again who was still talking to Chotaro but Shishido had leaned in and was now taking part in the conversation. He was surprised when he saw his usually serious teammate with a genuine smile as he talked to Sakuno.

"Is Sanada here?" Atobe asked, turning back to Oshitari.

"Yeah, he's over there," Oshitari nodded pointing at a distant table where many of the Rikkaidai players and their dates were sitting.

"I'd better go say hello, right Kabaji?" Atobe winked and walked around the table so he was behind Sakuno.

"Yes!"

He leaned down and whispered in her ear, causing her to jump in surprise.

"Oh! Keigo! You scared me!" Sakuno exclaimed.

"Let's move this way," he nodded in the direction of the Rikkaidai table.

Sakuno nodded and waved goodbye to Chotaro and Shishido. She and Kabaji followed the Hyotei captain across the room where they became face to face with the Rikkaidai team. Sakuno blinked in surprise as she looked at Sanada. She had only ever seen him with his hat on but it turned out that he cleaned up nicely.

"Sanada," Atobe greeted him with a firm handshake.

The Rikkaidai captain gripped his hand back and shook it, "Atobe."

"Hey! Aren't you that girl from Seigaku?" Kirihara spoke up, his green eyes staring at Sakuno.

"Um! Yes, I'm from Seigaku," Sakuno said awkwardly.

Yukimura gave the pair a soft smile, "It's nice to see a couple that doesn't go to the same school."

Marui blew a bubble with his gum and stared at the pair skeptically. Nio narrowed his eyes and reached over his date, hitting his teammate in the shoulder.

"Don't chew gum in a setting like this!" Nio growled.

"Well," Atobe stated, "It was good seeing all of you."

They nodded at him and Sakuno followed him as they made their way back across the room. She looked around recognizing quite a few people. She saw Fuji's brother Yuta and Mizuki grabbing snacks from one of the tables. It looked as though Mizuki was trying to strategize how they were going to go about getting on the dance floor. Yuta looked utterly baffled by what his senpai was telling him. She also saw a table where the over energized Kintaro looked like he was already about to bounce off of the walls. The pair stopped at their table and Atobe picked up his drink, taking a sip. He put it down and turned to Sakuno with cocky expression.

"What?" she squeaked out.

"Let's dance," he stated frankly.

Sakuno looked around and noticed that a lot of the players and their dates were on the dance floor. Classical music was playing and the pairs seemed to glide across the floor gracefully.

"I already told you I'm one of the most skilled ballroom dancers," he said to her with a smirk.

Sakuno smiled at him and took his hand. He led her out onto the dance floor and they began dancing. They swayed back and forth as a pretty piano piece played. Sakuno let out a sigh and relaxed, allowing Atobe to lead her wherever he wanted. After a few songs Sakuno told him that she was thirsty and walked back to the table to take a sip of her drink. Just as she took a gulp she saw someone out of the corner of her eye.

"Ryuzaki."

Sakuno's eyes popped open and she turned around quickly to see Ryoma staring at her with a frown on his face.

"Ryoma! Hi… Um, how are you?" she stuttered out.

He shrugged, "I've been better."

Sakuno's eyes shot over to Atobe who was talking to Kabaji near the Hyotei table. He made eye contact with her and didn't look away. She gave him a small smile, signaling that she was fine and he returned her gesture with a nod; continuing his conversation.

"Would you like to dance?" Ryoma asked in a low voice.

Sakuno opened her mouth in surprise, "Oh, sure, that's fine. Keigo is talking with his teammates and I'm sure he won't mind."

Ryoma curled his lip at the thought of needing Keigo Atobe's _permission_ to dance with Sakuno. He nodded for her to follow him and they moved to the center floor. A soft song came on and the pair moved gently with the music. Sakuno avoided eye contact and she felt extremely awkward.

"So… you and Atobe, is it serious?" Ryoma asked after a few silent moments.

Sakuno's head shot up, "Y-yes, we're seeing each other if that's what you're asking."

"Hm," Ryoma mumbled, looking away and a small frown forming on his lips.

"I did…" Sakuno started and then stopped.

Ryoma eyed her skeptically, "What?"

"I did like you," Sakuno finally said in a quiet voice, "But you always ignored me."

"I'm not good with stuff like that," he mumbled back, looking away.

"I hope that we can still be friends like always…" Sakuno trailed off.

"Why wouldn't we be able to?"

"Oh! I thought you didn't like Keigo…"

"I never said that."

They both stared at each other and the song ended. She took a step back from him and smiled.

"I'm glad, I'll still cheer for you at your matches of course!" Sakuno told him.

Ryoma nodded, "Okay."

"Mind if I take it from here Echizen?"

The pair turned to see Atobe giving them a charming smile. Ryoma shook his head and turned; walking away with a final nod at Sakuno.

"Is everything okay?" Atobe asked as another song began.

Sakuno blushed, "Yes, everything is fine."

"He didn't try and steal you… did he?" Atobe asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sakuno giggled, "No, not at all. We're friends and you and I are together. He's fine with it."

"That's good to hear," Atobe replied and then grinned, "He lost a golden opportunity."

Sakuno flushed crimson and the Hyotei captain leaned down and planted a chaste kiss on her lips. Sakuno's eyebrows shot up in surprise as his warm lips pressed against hers and she instantly pushed into him. After a few moments they separated and Sakuno took a quick gasp for air. Atobe smirked at her and she stared at him in shock.

"Are you overwhelmed by my prowess?" he teased her.

Sakuno shook her head to snap out of her trance, "N-No!"

Sakuno stared up at him and thought to herself how good things had been since that fateful day at the practice tennis match. He had tended to her when she was sick, introduced her to his team, invited her to his house, and now was dancing with her at a wonderful ball. Ryoma was the prince of tennis but Atobe was definitely the king and she was his queen.


End file.
